"Product Testing" Finish Line Ceramic Wet Chain Lube

For lubing bicycle chains over the years I have used practically everything under the sun.  Three in one oil comes to mind early on, engine motor oil, WD-40, Tri-Flow, many different spray lubricates, wet and dry graphite the list is long. Searching for a really good quality product to lube bicycle chains is relatively easy now a days. Most of my riding is done on the streets "black top" not gravel, not dirt trails. I like quiet running chains be it single or multi-speed drive train. Wet lubes seems to be the way I choose to go. In the last 3 or 4 years ceramic this...ceramic that...has been the buzz. So I thought here is a product with the latest greatest stuff in it... well since sliced bread. Finish Line Ceramic WET Bicycle Chain Lube so I got some and gave it a try (after reading about this product I couldn't resist). Here's the really good part,  it's GREAT STUFF! flows on smooth doesn't clog up (no need to shake the bottle), penetrates into rollers well, gives you a super quiet running chain, waterproof stays on the chain, doesn't sling all over the place so its not messy. It lasts for a good long while. No annoying fragrances or dyes. It's white clean looking right? Well it turns black pretty quick, this products works extremely well as advertised. Any how... that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Thanks for stopping by. 
Perry

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yXwexH0tjRM#!

 

Schwinn Peloton 58cm $650.

Cinelli bar & stem, Suntour Superbe Pro shifters, derailleurs, Sugino 75 crankset 53-42 chainrings, 7 speed cassette, Rolls saddle, Tange headset, Royal Grand Compe brakes calipers & brake levers, Frameset lugged, Columbus tubing, tubular (sew-ups) tires, araya hoops, Suntour Superbe Pro hubs
Comes with 90 DAY UNCONDITIONAL WARRANTY & UNLIMITED LIFETIME TUNE UP

 http://www.vicsclassicbikes.com/

by Perry

PURE FIX Cycles "Fixie"

                                                 "GET YOUR FIX ON"


                                   PURE FIX Cycles 
                                             Vic's newest line
                                              sizes: 50cm  54cm  58cm
                                       Multitude of Colors       
                                                 Standard features include:
                           flip flop hub (fixed & freewheel) 
                           gearing 44 x 16 = 74.25 gear inches
                          50mm deep dish wheels, 28mm tires 
                                               front brake
                                     MSRP  $325.00 American 

by Perry

Vic's Anniversary Ride 2nd Annual

                              Father's Day June 17th 2012 

Forty-Seven riders strong rode this Louisville Bicycle Club ride today out of Vic's Classic Bikes on the 2nd Anniversary of Vic's Classic Bikes in this location.  This is a regular Sunday morning ride feel free to try it out. Vic's wife Laura treated us to a food fair... fruit bowl, yogurt, coffee, juice, milk,  and doughnuts. Wonderful fuel for cyclists after a great ride.  Thanks to all the riders for coming out!  Special thanks to Vic and Laura for a really good time.
by Perry

PUBLIC Bikes

Yes! PUBLIC Bikes are in the store ready to ride, we've had two shipments. The first ones went flying out the door! These are the PUBLIC Bikes C7 models,  Mens and Women's in stock $595. Come by, check these sweet machines out!!! Classic European city bikes designed for today's urban environment.
Special Limited time offer:
Free Color matched Rear Rack w/ Spring Clip a $60 value with bike purchase. 

by Perry

"Product Testing" Finish Line Ceramic Grease

Working around the shop overhauling bottom brackets, wheel bearings, headsets, lubing stems, pedals threads, seat posts, and  bolts threads. I could name a few more but why!!! Requires one to apply grease to these parts. This is like re-living childhood... getting to play with a substance (grease) that ends up everywhere, where you intend for it to go and every place in between. After years of experience handling and working with  various brands, multitudes of colors grease is not the same. The feedback in your fingers of what is good in the way of grease (the way in feels... tackiness, sticky, thick or thin, smooth texture, stringy). Life is an ongoing process... so are new cycling products today its grease. Synthetic grease with teflon-infused ceramic nano-bits, what's not to love? The color is white it has a nice clean look. The feel is right! This product works with steel or ceramic bearings that's a plus. Time will tell how good it really is. I need to go clean-up... thanks for checking in.
by Perry

 http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/ceramic_grease.htm

A Bike Built For Mom

I couldn't build a bike for my dad and not my mom. Hell, I'll build a bike for just about anyone who'll ride one and mom seemed keen on riding. That was all the encouragement I needed. 


My mother grew up poor and never owned a bike of her own. She doesn't have the great childhood memories of riding bikes everywhere all the time that many of us hold dear. It seems all this "bike joy" had pent up her entire life because when she let out an audible "weee!" on her first downhill coast, it was unquestionably sincere. 


I chose a mid 70s Peugeot UO-18C mixte frame as the platform for the build. It's the right size for her and the mixte design will ensure easy mounting/dismounting for many years to come. She has some upper vertebrae injuries so an upright position was called for. The Nitto Dove bars were perfect. While I'm a big fan of derailleur drivetrains, I chose the new Sturmey Archer X-RF5(w) wide range 5 speed IGH for mom's bike. Coupled with the thumb shifter it's a no-nonsense, no-worries drivetrain perfectly suited to an inexperienced cyclist. 


The wheels were built by Vic and I with polished 700c CR-18 rims and Sapim double-butted spokes. The front hub is the economical Sanyo H27 dynamo (generator) hub we're fond of here. I like the centerpull brakes so often found on vintage bikes, but in the interest of maximum efficiency and minimum maintenance I upgraded the bike with the Tektro R559 calipers and FL750 levers. Her bike has confidence-inspiring braking; perfect for the hills of western Kentucky. 


To tackle the climbing part of those hills I paired a 42t chainring on the Stronglight 93 crankset with a 21t Nexus cog on the hub. This pretty much gives her two climbing ratios, two cruising ratios and one to bomb down the hills. 


Being a horse rider most of her life she really appreciated the Brooks B18 Lady's Model saddle. I installed PDW "Bourbon" grips that match the saddle well, Velo Orange sealed bearing touring pedals (these are so lightweight and grippy!) and Spanninga and Planet Bike lights. The Peugeot "brrrring, brrring" bell was a kind gift from a fellow vintage bicycle enthusiast in Paris who wanted to contribute something to a bike I was building for my mom. 


Happy riding to all you mothers out there!

By Justin Hughes

Spring cleaning!

Vic has been working hard the past few weeks organizing, building, cleaning and spiffing up the shop. An expanded selection of Brooks saddles greets customers at the store front, with vintage Brooks photographs and advertising displayed throughout the shop. A new organized workbench gleams with a salvaged bowling alley top. Overall the aesthetic of the shop more closely resembles the aesthetic of the classic bikes we love. Get out to enjoy the early Spring weather and stop by to see us!

55cm Windsor Carerra Sport

During the 1970s and 1980s, Acre-Mex manufactured Windsor bicycles under the direction of Remo Vecchi. Vecchi had formerly worked as a builder for Cinelli in Italy. The Carerra Sport model features chromoly tubes, Sun Tour forged dropouts, striking chrome head lugs and Sun Tour components. It also has Sunshine high flange hubs laced to Windsor branded alloy rims.

Our freshly restored Windsor had been stored indoors by its sole owner and is now available for $550.

Justin

Justin remembers: he can tell you most everything you might want to know about classic lugged steel road bikes. Although he has only really been working on bikes for a few years, Justin already has the knowledge of the passionate hobbyist, and he is ready to answer most any question with information and enthusiasm.

Justin holds degrees in finance, hotel management, culinary arts, and accounting. He goes to see local music and plays his own, drinks bourbon, works on bicycles in his garage, and works full-time as an accountant.

He plays electric guitar in the band Dallas Alice, named after the character in the song Willin’ by Little Feat.

Out on the road late last night,
Seen my pretty Alice in every head light
Alice, Dallas Alice

Justin once visited 17 out of 24 restaurants over 350 miles of the North Carolina Historic Barbecue Trail. That means driving 350 miles and eating 17 meals that look something like this:

Even with all these hobbies, he still has time to cook for his wife Tiffany. In fact, I have been over to their house and managed to catch a few of those "everyday" meals, and was so impressed I had to record two for posterity:

Justin is a great guy, who is likeable to all, and his wide-ranging, sincere interests makes him a singularly interesting guy too.

by John Wade